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Dal Tadka

South Asian · 45 min · Easy · 4 servings

Dal Tadka

Soft yellow lentils finished with a tadka — whole spices bloomed in hot oil and poured over at the last second, so it hits the surface and sizzles.

~390 cal per serving — Calories are approximate, per serving — a guide only.

gluten-freesoy-freenut-freehigh-protein
Plan it:

Method

  1. 1

    Boil the dal

    ⏱ 25 min

    Put the rinsed lentils in a pot with the water, the turmeric and the chopped tomato. Bring to a boil, skimming off any foam, then simmer until the lentils have completely collapsed into a loose porridge.

  2. 2

    Season the dal

    ⏱ 3 min

    Whisk the dal briefly to smooth it out, add salt, and keep it warm over the lowest heat. Loosen with hot water if it has gone claggy — dal thickens fast.

  3. 3

    Make the tadka

    ⏱ 4 min

    Heat the oil in a small frying pan until shimmering. Add the cumin and mustard seeds and wait for them to pop, then add the sliced garlic, the ginger and the green chilies and fry until the garlic slices are pale gold at the edges — not brown, which turns it bitter.

  4. 4

    Fry the onion

    ⏱ 8 min

    Add the finely diced onion to the pan of sliced garlic and spices and cook until deeply golden, then take off the heat and stir in the chili powder and garam masala — off the heat, so they toast without burning.

  5. 5

    Pour it over

    Pour the whole sizzling tadka over the dal and stir most of it in. Finish with lemon juice and cilantro, and serve immediately while it still crackles.

Notes

The tadka is made last and poured over at the table — reheating dal that has already been tempered loses the point. Rinse the lentils until the water runs clear or the dal turns gluey.

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